Tummy Tuck and the Port- Experiences?

[stateofzen 46]

I am currently consulting with surgeons about a Tummy Tuck and I'm curious what your experiences have been with the port. The very very very well ranked and reviewed surgeon I consulted with yesterday says he won't touch the port, so that limits a bit how much of the excess skin I have on my upper abdomen that he can get to (basically, he'll only work below it). This seems off to me. My port is located right about where my problem area starts, so I have this freaky horror image of a flat(ter) lower stomach with a bulge under my boobs.

I have two more consults in the works.

Any experiences you care to share?

Just to share my story-- I had my lapband placed exactly 3 years ago, yesterday. I've lost over 100 lbs, though I'm up 10 over the last year from my lowest weight. I plan on a tt and a breast lift, but I plan to pay cash and I can only afford one at a time, so stomach goes first.

[dawalsh 919]

I'd say ship around. My surgeon's brother is a plastic surgeon and they work hand in hand. So the plastic surgery would not be a problem for him considering the port.

I'm only 8 months out and will wait awhile before I consider plastic surgery.

[lisacaron 5,075]

Zen, in this forum there was a poster who posted pictures of her trunk lift.

I had never seen anything like it before but it was basically a vertical removal of excess skin rather then a horizontal removal under the belly. If you google it you might find more information about it and if that might be something to consider for the upper part of your tummy near the port.

Best of luck and congrats on the amazing weight loss!

[lisacaron 5,075]

-Correction-

It's a Corset Trunkplasty that does the upper and lower abdominal. Trunkplasty could just be for the lower though some call it vertical and do upper and lower.

[stateofzen 46]

Thanks LisaCaron- I'll look at that

[Qtjan5 17]

I had a Tummy Tuck last December, and my surgeon moved the port so it was a little deeper in my abdomen muscle. You should make sure to find a plastic surgeon who is familiar with performing surgery on a bariatric surgery patient. Maybe ask your lap-band surgeons office for suggestions. Good luck!

[stateofzen 46]

Update: I think I found my surgeon yesterday afternoon on my third consult. He clearly has more experience with bariatric patients and said he would definitely have to move the port because of where it is, and that it is no problem- he'll consult with my bariatric surgeon and he's done it plenty of times before.

I was just so much more comfortable with his expertise with patients like me-- he felt more "reconstructive" than "medspa hollywood beauty surgeon", if you know what I mean. I think that he was more honest with me about expectations and he also didn't try to push me into having surgery when I had planned to have it between two trips we have booked (one in November, one in Januray, with barely 5 weeks between for recovery). He advised me to put it off for after our travel so I would be sure to enjoy the active tourist experience. The other two surgeons wanted to get me booked in that slot.

Finally, he actually said he was going to submit me to insurance for a panni, which came as a surprise. I think we both know it is highly unlikely to get approved because I just don't have enough of an overhang, but I've had some minor skin issues and he said he'd submit and see what they said. I'm sure it will be no, but I appreciated that he was willing to put the time into trying to make it happen.

Of course, he was the most expensive of the three-- mostly because he does the surgery in a hospital, not a spa surgery center, and he requires a one night stay. The cost of a night in a hospital is outrageous! $4500 for a bed overnight. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it is a major surgery and I have an increased risk of complications because of an unrelated medical issue. On the other hand, I didn't even stay overnight when I was banded! Then again, it would have been nice to stay overnight that night because I was in agony and the liquid percocet they prescribed made me throw up all night at home. So, it's tough.

Thanks for the advice to keep looking.

[LittleGirlBlue 24]

Sometimes it takes a little searching:). My surgeon is listed as a reconstructive plastic surgeon. He moved my port when he did the Tummy Tuck and in fact talked my band surgeon into not removing any Fluid from my band. I had a anxiety about the no fluid removal and the port being moved by a non-bariatric surgeon but damn he knows what he's doing. He's not a reconstructive surgeon, he's an artist. Just a few more weeks and I will 12 week post-op photos. Full TT with flank Lipo, breast lift, with a reduction on one side to create symmetry. I freak out every time I look in the mirror. Is that really me?

[LittleGirlBlue 24]

Oh- and it's worth the overnight stay. Honest info... I have a vey high pain tolerance and a TT is very painful. Anyone who tells you it isn't is lying.

[stateofzen 46]

Thanks for your words, XiolaBlue-- can't wait to see your pics and I appreciate the opinion on the overnight stay. It feels sort of crazy but worth it for anxiety reduction and early pain management alone. I also have increased risk of blood clots, so being under observation/hospital care for the first 24 hours seems like a nice idea.